“It’s a bunch of lies, that’s all that is,” says Larry Taylor, who shares the sentiments of a lot of folks we talked to at Two Podners Restaurant today. “I figured they wanted to pull him down, you know? Or say something bad so other people can look at him different, you know?”

“I think it’s just a scam to get him out of office,” says Lita Jackson, who believes it’s all a conspiracy to remove a good man just because some in government feel he’s been too powerful for too long. “He’s doing so many wonderful things for the community and they’re just trying to find a way to bring him down. And they couldn’t come up with anything else,” she says.

Price is popular; he won Tuesday’s Democratic party primary nomination with 76% of the vote. None of the other three candidates could even break into double figures. Alvin Marsh calls him a good commissioner. “He tried to do his job and everything and I don’t really think it’s right.”

According to records released with yesterday’s legal action, the court decided not to make the accusations public until after the primary, presumably to not effect the election’s outcome.

Teronica Winston argues they shouldn’t be released at all. “They’re unfair, they’re unfair. Especially to be publicized. If you’re going to bring him up on federal charges. On any kind of issue it shouldn’t be public.”

Paris Hinson agrees and believes any legal action taken against him may trigger a public backlash. “I think he’s bringing the community more together,” she says, adding, “but when you’re putting so many charges on him — if they’re not necessary it’ll bring the community together but it won’t help anything.”

Price has long campaigned on the slogan, “Our Man Downtown.” It’s clear most people in his district want it to stay that way.